The head of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs resigns following an investigation by journalists.
The head of the Main Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mykola Rudyk, along with eight other employees from service center No. 8041, submitted declarations upon their dismissal. The official's dismissal occurred against the backdrop of an investigation by Bihus.Info regarding the ineffective operations of the center and the resale of electronic tickets for the practical driving test.
On Wednesday, January 22, Bihus.Info, referencing the Unified State Register of Declarations, reported that Rudyk submitted his resignation declaration on January 3. However, there has been no announcement from either the Ministry of Internal Affairs or the Main Service Center regarding his dismissal.
Together with Mykola Rudyk, eight individuals – employees of service center No. 8041 and subjects of the journalistic investigation – submitted resignation declarations:
- Inspector Andriy Kukhelniy
- Inspector Vadym Chystiakov
- Inspector Serhiy Datskov
- Inspector Roman Zhirkov
- Inspector Dmytro Parchenko
- Administrator Serhiy Panchenko
- Administrator Natalia Los
- Administrator Anatoliy Klymenko
Journalists uncovered undeclared luxury vehicles among all the subjects, with their value significantly exceeding the income of the service center employees.
Recall that on December 4, 2024, the Bihus.Info project released a journalistic investigation concerning the operations of the largest Service Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which faced complaints from those wishing to take the practical driving test – people had to sleep outside the center to obtain a ticket for the exam. Journalists discovered that the electronic ticket issuance system, established by Mykola Rudyk, was malfunctioning – hackers intercepted the tickets and then resold them. Additionally, the journalists found that center employees were using undeclared expensive cars and residing in elite residential complexes.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs responded to the investigation and announced inspections at the service centers. Specifically, on December 5, 2024, the press service of the Ministry stated that "the Main Service Center will receive a new management team."